ALL NOVEL chapter 1
1 – 1. The First Encounter
I first met her on my 12th birthday.
At that time, I felt like I could have everything if I wanted.
The five great noble families in the empire, the oldest, most fundamental, and powerful. Among them, I was the sole successor of the Kairos, one of the two prominent families in the aristocratic circle.
Birthday parties weren’t particularly important to me back then. Since I could have anything I wanted, celebrations, gifts, it all seemed like a nuisance.
That day, I was trying to deal with those who came to congratulate me while secretly trying to hide my annoyance.
My father, the Duke of Kairos, had taught me how to socialize with others since I was 10, so spending time with others wasn’t something special after two years.
And then, in the midst of it all, my father suddenly called me.
“Eiden! Eiden! Come here.”
I looked at my father. He had a faint smile on his lips as he looked at me. Without saying anything, I headed towards him.
My father, Baron Kainus, introduced a girl to me.
“Go on, greet her.”
I stared blankly at the girl.
With silvery hair and eyes that sparkled in purple, she was undeniably one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen. However, that was just about the extent of my admiration.
No matter how pretty she was, there was no particular reason for me to feel a strong liking for her. After all, she was a complete stranger.
I looked at my father and asked, “…Who is she?”
Having mingled with other members of the Kainus family, and despite having seen many faces, hers was not just unfamiliar; among those I knew, there wasn’t even a resemblance. My father looked at me and said, “This child is the successor of Cielain.”
As soon as I heard those words, I couldn’t help but furrow my brow. The successor of Cielain? If it was Cielain… wasn’t it a prestigious lineage that stood shoulder to shoulder with the Kainus, my family?
Although they shared the same noble lineage with Cielain, the rivalry between the Kainus and Cielain families over the pinnacle position in the noble faction made their relationship far from amicable.
There was little interaction between the two, or at least that’s what I thought. What could have happened?
With these questions in mind, I looked at my father and asked, “…Why did the successor of Cielain come here?”
To my inquiry, my father responded with a faint smile, saying, “To find a way to improve relations with Cielain. As future colleagues who must politically cooperate on an equal footing, she deliberately came to deliver a birthday gift to you as the successor of Cielain.”
Upon hearing this, I furrowed my brow even more.
It didn’t seem like she came purely to congratulate me on my birthday, and her demeanor didn’t suggest a particularly pleasant personality either.
Then, the girl with silver hair reached out her hand towards me, looking at me.
“Hello, I’m Ariel Cielain.”
After a moment of hesitation, I shook her hand and said, “Uh, hello. I’m Eden Kainus. Thanks for coming to congratulate me on my birthday.”
That should do it.
I’ve received thorough etiquette training. Though the situation was somewhat awkward, I knew well how to treat guests.
“Alright, now you two can have a little conversation. From now on, you’ll have many interactions with Ciella, so be careful not to act recklessly. Understand, Eden?”
“Yes.”
I nodded. The fact that my father, who considered socializing with others so important, had given up spending time with others to allow us to be alone meant that Arielle was exceptionally important, beyond comparison with others.
Guided by the maid, we headed towards a space where we could comfortably converse.
Arielle sat on the sofa in the room and looked at me.
“Phew.”
Arielle sprawled on the sofa. I furrowed my brows at her attitude, as if she were the host of the event.
Feeling my gaze, Arielle looked at me and said, “What? Uncomfortable?”
Since she seemed genuinely unpretentious, there was no need for me to bother with unnecessary pretense.
After a quick mental calculation, I nodded and said, “Yeah.”
Arielle smirked slightly, then stood up, straightening herself on the sofa before looking at me.
“Ugh, bothersome.”
“You certainly didn’t come just to wish me a happy birthday, did you?”
Arielle paused for a moment upon hearing that, then looked at me and said, “Well, let’s say it’s a two-in-one. Our father sent me.”
I burst into a wry laugh upon hearing that.
Come to think of it, since I started socializing with others at the age of 10, there hadn’t been anyone who spoke their mind so openly.
Observing Arielle’s unique behavior, I looked at her and said, “Well, if our father sent you, shouldn’t you at least freshen up a bit?”
“There’s already a lot to do, and I don’t really want to. Can’t I just relax a bit while I’m outside the house?”
Silently contemplating her casual remark, I eventually sat down beside her without saying anything.
“Do as you please, then.”
Arielle heard my words, crossed her legs, and continued to gaze at me.
“…What did you come here for?”
I asked, looking at Ariel sitting there like that.
Ariel responded as if it were obvious.
“My father sent me to congratulate you on your birthday. He also suggested we become a bit friendlier while I’m at it.”
“I don’t really have the intention of becoming friends with you.”
“Me neither, don’t worry.”
Even as I looked at Ariel with bewilderment, she didn’t spare me a glance.
“…Won’t your father be upset about this? What if I ruin the relationship between Kainus and Cielaine by not getting along with you?”
Ariel heard my words and chuckled lightly.
“No, we’re not going to break apart anyway. Even if I don’t make an effort to be friends with you, nothing is going to change.”
I couldn’t help but be puzzled by her words.
Nothing is going to change? Why does she think that way?
With that question in mind, I looked at her and asked.
“Why do you think that way?”
I didn’t particularly like Ariel Cielaine’s behavior, but more than that, curiosity took precedence in my mind.
Ariel Cielaine heard my words, stared at me for a moment, and then took a pause.
“Because you and I are going to be engaged.”
I froze as soon as I heard those words.
“…What?”
I looked at Ariel with disbelief. Ariel spoke with an expression that revealed nothing about her thoughts.
“You and I are going to be engaged. Probably even get married. My father sent me here forcibly before that happens, so you should at least see my face beforehand.”
I felt a dizzying sensation in my head.
Marriage… I hadn’t completely avoided thinking about it. How many kids wouldn’t be curious about their future?
However, in the future I envisioned, there was someone other than Ariel.
But suddenly, Ariel had barged into the future that seemed smooth and trouble-free.
“How did you find out about that?”
“I heard it from your father and mine. They were talking when he came to our house, had a drink, and left. Didn’t you know?”
Ariel’s words made me feel uneasy. It was as if she was saying I was an ignorant child who didn’t know about important matters.
“Well, if you didn’t know, it doesn’t matter. I happened to overhear it anyway. In any case, that’s how it is.”
“Just saying it’s how it is won’t end things…”
I didn’t say anything more and swallowed the words I wanted to utter.
“Well, there’s no way around it even if you react like that. So much is at stake in our engagement. If we break it off, we’ll all lose. You and me both. So, even if you don’t like it, endure it. Haven’t we known from the start that being born a noble means we can’t marry for love?”
…Indeed, we did.
I didn’t bother to argue with her words. Instead, I sighed once.
Ariel looked at me with a smile on her lips and suddenly extended her hand to me.
The way she looked at me while offering her hand was honestly charming.
Thinking that to myself, I asked, “What’s this?”
“The handshake earlier was a greeting saying it’s nice to meet you. This one is a greeting for us to do well since it’s come to this.”
After a moment of hesitation, I grabbed her hand and shook it.
That was the first meeting between Ariel and me.